MARGAO: Convenor of GOACAN, Roland Martins on Monday came down heavily on the Public Works Department (PWD) for its alleged irresponsible attitude towards taking adequate road safety measures and warned the PWD officials of legal action against them for failing in ensuring safety of commuters.
Martins also informed that GOACAN will write to Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari to stop the grants to the PWD in Goa if they cannot ensure safety of commuters.
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“Total 127 people have died in 128 days. We want Union Minister Gadkari, who is on good terms with Goa, to intervene in the matter. All the grants to the PWD should be stopped if they cannot ensure safety of commuters on the roads. No action, no money. We cannot allow people to die on the roads,” he said on the sidelines of a road safety drive in Margao being conducted by GOACAN.
He further said that GOACAN will also write to the ministers of all concerned departments, including Tourism Department, besides bringing to the notice of the Gadkari all the figures pertaining to accidents reported on the Goan roads “due to negligence by the PWD”.
“We want to tell the PWD that it is high time they realise their responsibilities and act. It has been noticed that the PWD is not even honouring the notification issued by the Collector pertaining to the zebra crossing. The irresponsible behaviour of the officials of the PWD is not acceptable,” Martins said.
He also informed that his organization will be giving a deadline to the government.
“Act now or cases will be filed against all the officials for failing to do the duties amounting to deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection Act 2019,” he said.
Taking on the PWD, he further said that PWD is giving least attention to the issue of road safety. This department should activate the road engineering cell and it should not be on papers. They should come on ground. Accident analysis should be released to the public. People need to know why people are dying.
“The time has come to make the officials embrace their responsibilities, because they cannot call themselves a Public Works Department when they cannot hear the public’s grievances. PWD cannot play the blame game,” he added.
Martin is of the strong opinion that people cannot shift from petrol car to electric car or from bikes to cycles unless the roads are made safe.
Fixing responsibilities on the Tourism Department, GOACAN stated that this department should also come out and invest in the road safety campaign. Department cannot invite tourists to Goa without spending a single rupee on road safety. Officials of the tourism department should also get involved in the measures to road safety.
Martins also appealed to the people to take photographs of wrong deeds of the PWD pertaining to road safety and make them viral to embrace the officials.
Appealing to the bike riders to use helmets and take proper care, GOACAN will shortly start a campaign against the fake helmets in the state of Goa.
